Name: Period:

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

1. What is an ecosystem?2. What “makes up” an ecosystem?

3. What are examples of interdependence?4. Competition; what happens when two species

are dependent on the same resource? 5. Symbiosis; what happens when a species can

help a brotha out…

1. What is an “Ecosystem”?

1. Lithosphere:1. This is the land system of the earth2. Center (liquid), below crust (semi-solid),

and surface (solid)

2. Hydrosphere:1. This is the water system of the Earth2. ALL water (solid, liquid and gas)3. 97% is salty, most of Earth’s fresh water is

frozen!

3. Biosphere:1. This is the living system of the Earth2. microorganisms, plant, and animals3. “bio” means living

4. Atmosphere:1. This is the air system of the Earth.2. ALL THE AIR3. Extends from less than 1m below the

surface to more than 10,000 km above the surface!

4. The upper portion protects us! It absorbs and emits heat, and it blocks UV radiation

• Well, “Eco” means home or habitat, and “system” means parts working together

• Based on the above information, create a definition for ecosystem in the margin of your notes.

• An ecosystem can be as big as our globe, and as small as our school

• Our global ecosystem is divided into four spheres

Let’s learn from the INSIDE to the OUTSIDE

Question 1:

• What are the four spheres, and what system does each one encompass?

2. What “makes up” an ecosystem?

• Examples of Biotic and Abiotic interactions:

• label the biotic and abiotic factors:

• Now you draw and label your own example

An ecosystem is made up of:

living things(BIOTIC factors)

and

non-living things(ABIOTIC factors)

Question:Do you think living things would be able to live if non-living things were not around?

YES! We could not live without ABIOTIC factors!!

3. What are examples of Interdependence?

• Examples of species interdependence: soil, plants, and animals

First of all, two species may be interdependent if they both depend on each other for SURVIVAL.

The same goes for three species, or four, or five…

For example…you may be in an interdependent relationship with a friend if you start a skateboard business and you do the building if he or she supplies the materials.

The same relationships may exist in nature but with different benefits.

Your benefit might be: profit

A plant or animal’s benefit is: survival

Question 2:

• Which of the four spheres are biotic, and which are abiotic?

4. Competition; what happens when two or more species are dependent?

• Examples of species competition:

• Cheetahs and Lions compete for the same prey• Red-Winged Blackbirds and Tree Swallows

compete for the same habitat to mate and nest• California Sea Lions, Pelagic Cormorants, and

Caspian Terns feast on the same fish

I bet you could answer this one by yourself…

Exactly. A dependent relationship is one in which species A is dependent on species B to survive…but species C is also dependent on species B

For example:You might own a restaurant that serves only pickles. Well, you are dependent on customers who like pickles. However, your friend sees that you are doing so well and ALSO opens a pickle restaurant. Suddenly, you are both dependent on the same pickle loving customer, who, let’s face it, can only eat so many pickles…one of you will most likely go down

The same exists in nature, but with different requirements.

An animal requires: food, water, and shelter to survive.

So who wins? It’s not so black and white. Therewill always be some variation within a species (think the tall kid who has super short parents).

This variation, once passed over generations, maymake species A more competitive, OR it may make species A fit within another niche.

Question 3:

• What happens when species compete?

5. To End on a warm and fuzzy note…SYMBIOSIS!! (it can also be not so warm and fuzzy, but you’ll learn that when you get to Ms. Kruger at the High School)

• In the following examples, label if one, or both species are benefiting:

You all remember those cute little lizards that eat the flies off of those Galapagos Sea Lions right?

Well that, friends is symbiosis…aka: symbiotic relationship

When an organism benefits from another organism’s direct action. I repeat: benefits, not survives.

It’s the whole “you scratch my back…” of the animal world…except, instead of back scratching, it’s picking the mites off your furry back—yum!

Starlings eat parasites off of a stag

Surgeon Fish feed onthe algae growth on thisturtle

Question 4.

• Draw or explain an example of a symbiotic relationship that you know about.

HOMEWORK:

• Put your note guide into your take home folder and re-read it tonight

• THEN, write a short summary on what you know based on the notes (you can list terms as well)

• Option: if writing is not your strong point, you can create a diagram or chart, but it should convey the same amount of information as declared by the rubric:

• Rubric:• 1 paragraph=✓• 2 paragraphs=✓+• 3 paragraphs=+